Sheriff Addresses Deaths in Uptown Jail, Advocates Plan Vigil

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden is speaking out about two deaths that occurred in the Uptown jail in the span of five days last week as advocates plan to hold a vigil on Monday for those who have died while incarcerated there. 

On the morning of Saturday, Aug. 2, 2026, a detention officer called a medical emergency after finding 59-year-old Todd Williams unresponsive in the housing unit where he was being held. Medic responded and transported Williams to Atrium Main, where he was pronounced dead the following day.

This was followed by news that 33-year-old Domonique Chisholm passed away under similar circumstances after being found unresponsive in the jail late on Wednesday, Aug. 5. 

“On behalf of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, I want to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” McFadden said in a statement following Chisholm’s death, similar to a statement that followed Williams’ passing. “We recognize the profound loss they are experiencing, and they remain in our thoughts as they grieve. Any death in our custody is taken with the utmost seriousness, and we remain dedicated to the care of every person entrusted to our custody.” 

On Friday, however, McFadden released a more detailed statement, decrying the “speculation and misinformation” that he claimed to be coming from media reports on the deaths. 

McFadden cited the overcrowding that has created a strain on the jail since the passing of House Bill 307, known as Iryna’s Law, which has led to an increasing number of people being held in the jail for lower-level charges.

“Today, our detention center continues to operate over capacity with some housing units exceeding safe classification levels,” McFadden said on Friday. “Overcrowding places enormous strain on every aspect of detention operations from housing and supervision to medical care and mental health services.” 

The overcrowding led to McFadden’s announcement in May that his department plans to reopen Jail North. In Friday’s statement, McFadden described a health care crisis at Mecklenburg County Detention Center Central (MCDCC), with many people arriving suffering from untreated ailments or experiencing mental health episodes. 

He also stated his “significant concern” with the extensive use of illegal drugs inside the jail. 

“Despite extensive security measures, contraband continues to find its way into our detention centers across the country, including through attempts to introduce drugs through legal mail and correspondence, the concealment in personal property or during intake process, and the possibility of a coordination with outside contact with staff and vendors,” McFadden said. 

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office has reported three deaths in custody this year. In June, 21-year-old Ja’Lan Riddick was pronounced dead at the jail on Saturday afternoon after he was found unresponsive in his housing unit.

Reporting from WSOC in 2025 found that a man who died while incarcerated at the Uptown jail in August of that year was believed to have overdosed on medication that jail staff mistakenly provided to him.

“Every death in our detention center is a tragedy,” McFadden stated. “Every person who enters our custody is someone’s son, daughter, mother, father, or loved one. We extend our sincere condolences to every family that has experienced such a loss.” 

The cause of death for the two men who died last week is still unknown to the public. McFadden on Friday said that both deaths will be investigated thoroughly and reported transparently. 

Advocates to honor lives lost in Uptown jail

Community members and advocates will hold a rally and vigil honoring those who have died while incarcerated in the MCDCC on Monday, August 10, at 6 p.m. outside the jail. 

Community groups are demanding meaningful investments in community safety instead of expanding incarceration, according to a release from the event’s organizers, who cited growing concerns about worsening conditions inside the jail, the increasingly serious issue involving overcrowding, and policy decisions that are driving more people into detention for longer periods of time.

“The people who have died in our jail were more than case numbers,” said Xavier T. de Janon, attorney at the People’s Law Collective. “They were our neighbors, family members, coworkers and friends. Their deaths are a reminder that our current approach to public safety is failing. We cannot build our way out of this crisis with bigger jails. We must reduce the number of people entering the jail in the first place.”

Organizers with the Charlotte Bail Fund are urging local leaders to reject the reopening of Jail North or any measures that seek only to expand the capacity to incarcerate people and instead invest in proven community-based solutions that improve public safety while reducing incarceration. 

Charlotte Bail Funds recommendations include expanding non-congregate emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing; investing in transitional housing and homelessness prevention; increasing access to voluntary mental health and substance use services; supporting violence interruption, restorative justice, and community-based care; advancing policies that reduce unnecessary pretrial detention and incarceration; and decriminalizing crimes of poverty and quality-of-life crimes. 

“We cannot jail our way out of a social crisis. People who go to jail will get out, and often, the underlying conditions that led to their incarceration are worse, not better, which actually undermines public safety long-term. Additionally, anyone can end up in the local jail, for example, for a DUI, a fight with a family member, or as a result of a traffic stop gone wrong. The conditions at the jail affect us all,” said Mina Ezikpe, a criminal defense attorney and volunteer with the Charlotte Bail Fund.

Monday’s rally will feature speakers from impacted families and community organizations followed by a candlelight vigil during which organizers will read the names of those who have died while incarcerated in the Mecklenburg County Jail.